The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY.
ITS OBSERVANCE In PALAfKA.
Veteran Post No. u, G. L. r., Oecorafes the Graves
Of Former Comrades at Dunn's
Haii-speeches and sonss-Ab-
stracts osthe Speeches.

Veteran Post, No. u, q rand Army @
the Republic, yesterday, decorated tn
graves of their comrades, who had beel
buried here and at Pomona and Sal
Mateo. In the evening the Post and TIN
friends of its members met at Dunn
Hall. The hall was beautifully decorate,
for the occasion, an evidence of the goo,
taste of the Committee on Decorations
Mrs. DIR. Peck, Mrs. G. NJ. Beals. Mrs. l.
S. Stevens and Miss May Deane
The memorial services began with tn.
singing of The Vacant Chair" by tn,
choir, composed of Mrs. G. NJ. Beals
Miss frankie Perkins, Mr.. and Mrs. l.. T
Hazlett, Miss May Deane, Mr.. Geo. Nj
Graham and Mr.. Fred. Sulzner, who con
tributed tuneful numbers between ths
speeches of the evening.
DIR. A. l.. Cole then stated the purpose
of the evening i'm the following words:
| The occasion, for which we have this
evening assembled, is to pay due tribute
to the fallen heroes of our country. Our
brothers and comrades who so nobly
sacrificed their lives on the field of battle
L
the Republic, the crowning principle of
loyalty. The men, who, in the dark
days of the rebellion, laying aside the
persuits and pleasures of civil life,
thronged to the field, resolved that the
union one and indivisible should and
must be preserved.
| The Grand Army of the Republic, I'M
der the constitution of the United States,
established the Both day of May as Me
mortal Day, for decorating with choice
| flowers the graves of the noble men who
| died that the nation might live; and to-
| day all over this broad land, from the
| rising to the setting sun, from the Lakes
of the North to the Gulf of the South,
| the members of the Grand Army and
| friends have placed emblematic flowers
| on the graves of our departed heroes.
The men who you see before you this
| evening dressed in a semi-military uni
form did, during the dark days of the
Rebellion, raise their right hand to God
| anG--ssXear to protect the flag of our
country, the emiuiera of purity, equal
| rights and National unity: and adva2c-
| ing to the field of carnage facing the
yawning mouths of cannons, pouring
forth shot and shell, grape and canister,
| and the volley of bullets from the musk
etry, like the hail stones in a terrific
| storm. These men who faced death for
| their country, were many of them shat
| tered in limb or body, and their
comrades, pursued with ball or
| shot, fell by their side, their blood ooz-
| ing gently out after the dread
battle, with our comrades dead and dy-
ing ON the field, we have grasped the
dear old flag of our country, tattered and
torn, and wrapping it around the inani-
mate forms, have laid them to rest be-
| meath a Southern sun.
But we of the Grand Army have even
| higher interests i'm our order, day after
| day we see our comrades passing to the
unknown beyond, and we realize that
soon the bugle blast will call our last
conrade to rest, and the sons and daugh-
tiers of veterans and their friends will he
expected to perpetuate the decoration
services to time immemorial."
At the conclusion of his remarks DIR.
Cole introduced Comrade Spencer, who
| delivered the Grafton of the evening.
Our space does dot allow for more than
the following extracts from his impress
i've speech:
THE GRAFTON.
The flowers of another spring have
come to life and beauty, and we are here
on the day chosen by the nation to pay a
tribute of grateful remembrance to our
cherished and hOnored dead. One who
knew the hearts of men said, when he
was departing: Meet and remember
me-" So. we meet and remember those
who fought by our sides-many falling
"a quarter of n century ago, when youth
was strong and life was sweet to us all.
There is no call to arms; our country
is at peace with the whole world. But
evils more dangerous than foreign war
are threatening to weaken the power of
our republic. Immigrants enough in
number to form a commonwealth in
themselves, arrive at our ports every
year. Ignorant of our laws. our institu-
| tions, in large proportion to our Ian
guage even, they quickly acquire the
rights of citizenship and become part of
our voting community. With the love
of the mother country still in their
breasts it is not strange that they should
sometimes be found using the ballot in
such a way as to best favor the
interests of the land of their birth. This
difficulty must be met and over bal
anced by the intelligent patriotism of
American born people.
The labor and socialistic troubles which
have vexed our large cities in late years
have assumed national importance.
The safety of a nation lies in greet
part in the peace and prosperity of the
working people. The careful execution n
of just laws will correct these difficult
ties. we have reason to hope, but in or
der to do this we need to have for our
| rulers men of thinking minds and incor-
| ruptible character.
A vast amount of ignorance in the
North and South, East and West must
be learned by education before the inter
ests of our nation are safe in the hands
| of its own people. Let, them, our rul-
| ers and representatives,, our ministers
and educators be men who appreciate the
grave responsibility of leading and teach
ing the people. and who hold the inter
ests of State and nation dearer than their
own.